[NM FP Ump]

What do you do when you have a batter that won't get in the batter's box? Heck, she won't even get out of the dugout!?!?!

I had this situation this week. NFHS JV game, visitors down 6-2 but rallying in the top of the 6th. 2 outs, bases loaded, #2 batter is next to bat. I call out "Batter", thinking she is still in the on deck circle and I have already counted to eight. I look and no one is there. I call time, go to the dugout and ask the coach for a batter. He says that she doesn't want to bat (he has already used his two substitutes). I ask him again for a batter, and he says, "She won't bat, just call her out."

I'm not making this up, it really happened.

I didn't want to demean the player or the team or the fans; it seemed to me that the players had issues with each other, and the coach. So instead of getting back into position, calling a strike on the batter for violating the ten second rule, calling "Play ball" and having the pitcher throw two more pitches (strikes, of course) to a non-existent batter, I called the girl out for not reporting to the batters box.

I couldn't find anything in the rule book about this kind of situation. I know I did not do it "by the book", but what would you have done in my plate shoes???

Asking for input and constructive criticism.